1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus which can set a detailed inspection condition by use of a clearer expanded image in the case of setting the inspection condition for inspecting an inspection object, and an image processing method and a computer program which are executed in the image processing apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
In the case of executing visual inspection of an inspection object, image processing is executed on image data captured by an imaging device performing imaging, to determine failure/non-failure of the inspection object with higher accuracy. In the case of executing image processing on image data, captured by performing imaging, as it is, an arithmetic processing load becomes excessively large due to a large amount of data, and accordingly, and there has thus been developed a technique for executing image processing on compressed image data obtained by compressing image data captured by performing imaging.
For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2009-063365 discloses an inspection device which performs data compression on each image data captured by imaging an inspection object to reduce an amount of data, thereby allowing alleviation of the arithmetic processing load in the case of executing image processing. Since the arithmetic processing load in the case of executing the image processing can be alleviated, arithmetic processing time can be reduced, and inspection cycle time can also be reduced.
However, in the case of executing an inspection by use of compressed image data, a characteristic portion viewable in original image data before compression may possibly be collapsed depending on a compression rate. There has thus been a problem in that it may become difficult to view the characteristic portion of the inspection object and a defect of the inspection object might not be able to be correctly detected.
Further, the inspection may be executed by use of partial image data obtained by cutting out part of the image data.
However, in the case of executing a periphery inspection for inspecting an edge of the inspection object, or the like, the inspection may not be correctly executed only by the partial image data. That is, in the case where only the partial image data is always used, there has been a problem in that the periphery inspection may not be executed on image data other than the partial image data to be used.